Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Magic

Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Magic is a sequel to the Book; Macromedia Flash MX 2004 series, if I am not mistaken it started since Version 4 of Macromedia Flash. If you are already an advanced Actionscript coder and a pro in using Flash, this book is definitely not much of a help. But this book is definitely a must have for the newbies and the intermediate alike.

Dynamic Flash

This chapter deals, how you can use Actionscript to do many things, including how to load images, text, cascading style sheet and other flash movies into text fields and a main interface. You can get to learn and use the MovieClipLoader, LoadVars and TextField.StyleSheet objects besides learning many other cool tips and tricks.

Customized and Printable Presentations

PrintJob object, a new thing of Actionscript 2.0, you will be able to get a taste of the same in this section.

Flash-Driven Ad

So, you have seen those Flash ads swapping across the page on some websites, personally I do not like them though but I know it pays to some developers. This section dives you into how you can integrate Flash advertisemetn with HTML pages. You can create a transparent ad that will overlay existing content for a specified duration.

Sound Mixing Toy

Generate a mixer interface, attach the sound to this interface dynamically from the library and use movie clip events along with Sound Object methods to build the interactivity and interface controls.

Timeline Component

I think I miss this chapter from the review chapters.

Pac-Man Style Maze Game

I myself am not much for a game but this chapter deals with a game constructed using tiles, square graphics that are stored in the library as MovieClips and tiled using Actionscript to generate the game environment, some sorta maze. Building a motion listener that checks which key is pressed and instructs the character to move up, down, left and right thus allowing your users to move the character inside the maze using the arrow keys. Also, a collision detection script to determine interaction with the environment, adding sound effects and keeping the score.

Flash Compositing

I think I miss this chapter from the review chapters.

Creating 3D Environments

You are inside a giant room with several people standing around you, you can walk around, turn and approach the others, as you do, they begin to chat and tell you a little about themselves. They also offer to show you another room and when you get closer, they transport you away to the new room. It is about creating a navigable 3D environment using Actionscript 2 classes, move around the 3D environment usiing the keyboard, view information about the objects you approach and jump from scene to scene.

Film Strip Component

A film strip component which you can use to add a rich and interactive design element to your project. You can also use the film strip component as a navigation bar. You get the source code of the componet in the accompanying CD for you to extend and look at it.

CSS to Control Text

Build a simple painting browser that reads information about each painting, contained in a text file and displays that information in a text field on the Stage. The information for each painting will contain html tags for displaying an image and formatting the text using CSS, loaded from an separate css file.

Extending Video in Flash

Working on a fictious clothing company, dealing with the concept of loading external video files and building complex interfaces to control the video in a nonlinear fashion. This section discusses how to load FLV files into external swf files at runtime, thus allowing the control of the video with the wide array of methods availeble to MovieClip Object.

Information Display Systems

A simple information display system which combines together a few components like that of DataGrid and Loader. Creating of an xml file and structure that allows you to pass styles and data into a display system.

JFSL

JSFL, the all new Flash’s Automation Language. Here, you can create text effects and many other things including animated effects, automation of repetitive tasks, create drawing tools.